Dancing On Ice: Laura triumphs on theatre night!

Dancing On Ice favourite Sam Attwater has found his top spot on the judges’ scoreboard threatened for the first time, on the show’s theatre-themed night.

The former EastEnders star – who has been in pole position every week so far – tied for the top spot on Sunday’s show with Laura Hamilton after she managed to equal his score of 25.5 from the panel.

Laura wowed the judges after performing an exuberant routine to You Can’t Stop The Beat from Hairspray – after Sam had earlier impressed them with a comical turn to Flash Bang Wallop from the musical Half A Sixpence.

Her routine included a complicated back flip which had never been attempted on the show before and which had been causing her problems right up to the dress rehearsal – but on the live show it passed off without a hitch.

And Robin Cousins agreed. “The fact that you just do whatever you’ve been asked to try is what’s got you this far,” he said.

Sam also won raves from the judges although they expressed concern over his ability to stay in time with partner Brianne Delcourt.

“You weren’t quite in sync with each other because there was so much going on,” Emma Bunton said, “But I loved it.”

Also faring well were Chloe Madeley and Jeff Brazier, who both performed dramatic routines to songs from Les Miserables and Phantom Of The Opera.

“That was a fantastic start to the show,” Robin Cousins told Jeff, while he also had praise for Chloe. “I wasn’t watching you, I was watching Michael (Zenezini), and you were with him as a partnership throughout the routine,” he said.

Vanilla Ice also landed his highest score to date with 21 points. “I didn’t see a hockey skater,” Robin said of his routine to Grease’s Born To Hand Jive, “I saw a figure skater who was in character.”

And Johnson Beharry also showed some improvement, scoring 15 points for his routine to Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. “I wasn’t sure if you’d given everything you had to give,” Robin said, “and tonight you proved you hadn’t.”

However it wasn’t such a good week for Denise Welch, ‘Comedy’ Dave Vitty and Kerry Katona, who once again found themselves at the tail end of the judges’ scoreboard.

Jason praised Denise – who performed to the Chicago song Roxie in a black leotard – for having a “delightful derriere” but complained that her arms moved “like windscreen wipers” – while he also complained that Dave – who donned 60s garb to skate to Age Of Aquarius from Hair – was “cutting off from the audience”.

And Kerry Katona, who performed to There’s No Business Like Show Business dressed in a tight-fitting gold leotard – finished in last place with just 12 points.

Jason criticised the reality star for “being carried around too much” while Robin was also unimpressed. “You’ve gone back to basics,” complained Robin. “You need to spend a lot of time catching up.”

The results will be revealed later on Sunday evening.

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